St. Augustine in St. Johns County, Florida — The American South (South Atlantic)

Warden Winter Home

Photographed by Diane Murphy, November 2019

1. Warden Winter Home Marker

Inscription. The Warden Winter Home was built in 1887 for William G. Warden of Philadelphia. A partner with Henry Flagler and John D. Rockefeller in the Standard Oil Company, Warden was also the President of the St. Augustine Gas and Electric Light Company and Financial Director of the St. Augustine Improvement Company. One of the most imposing private residences in the city, it was a center of winter social activity. Its Moorish Revival architecture and elaborate interior reflect the exuberance of the Gilded Age and St. Augustine's role as a winter resort. It remained in the Warden family through the 1930s. In 1941 it was purchased by Norton Baskin and remodeled as the Castle Warden Hotel. Baskin and his wife, Marjorie Kinnan Rawlings (author of The Yearling), had an apartment on the top floor. Many writers and other distinguished visitors came here during its decade as a hotel. Locally known as Warden Castle, it has served as Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum since 1950.

Erected 1992 by Florida Department of State, Sponsored by Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. (Marker Number F-336.)

Topics. This historical marker is

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listed in this topic list: Notable Buildings. A significant historical year for this entry is 1887.

Location. 29° 53.961′ N, 81° 18.863′ W. Marker is in St. Augustine, Florida, in St. Johns County. It is at the intersection of North Ocean Boulevard (State Road A1A) and West Castillo Drive, on the right when traveling north on North Ocean Boulevard. Located in front of the Ripley's Believe It or Not Museum. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Saint Augustine FL 32084, United States of America. Touch for directions.

Regionally, this marker is in First Coast

and in Greater Jacksonville.

It is also in the American South

and on the Eastern Seaboard. Globally, it is in the North Atlantic Region,

North America,

a Gulf of Mexico state,

the Western Hemisphere,

the Western World,

and the Anglosphere.

Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain,

the territory of the Mississippian Culture,

one of the Confederate States of America,

and the Antebellum South.

Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Magnificence in Marble: David c.1963 (within shouting distance of

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 1, 2011

2. Warden Winter Home Marker

this marker); Robert L. Ripley (within shouting distance of this marker); St. Augustine Civic Center (about 300 feet away, measured in a direct line); Old Spanish Trail Zero Milestone (about 300 feet away); a different marker also named St. Augustine Civic Center (about 300 feet away); Fuente de los Caños de San Francisco (about 300 feet away); The Huguenot Cemetery (about 400 feet away); On September 11, 1821 (about 400 feet away). Touch for a list and map of all markers in St. Augustine.

West Side of the Home and Museum image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 1, 2011

3. West Side of the Home and Museum

Michelangelo's David image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 1, 2011

4. Michelangelo's David

A reproduction of Michelangelo's David stands outside the Warden Winter Home.

Magnificence in Marble image. Click for full size.

Photographed by Craig Swain, August 1, 2011

5. Magnificence in Marble

Informational marker for the statue of David.

Photographed by Craig Doda, September 1, 2024

6. Warden Winter Home Marker

Credits. This page was last revised on October 21, 2024. It was originally submitted on August 30, 2011, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. This page has been viewed 3,640 times since then and 225 times this year. Photos: 1. submitted on October 18, 2024, by Diane Murphy of Saint Cloud, Florida. 2, 3. submitted on August 30, 2011, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 4, 5. submitted on August 31, 2011, by Craig Swain of Leesburg, Virginia. 6. submitted on September 4, 2024, by Craig Doda of Napoleon, Ohio.